Nuclear War Will Only Result in Destruction of Humankind, UNGA President Says

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The only outcome of a nuclear war, if unleashed today, will be the destruction of humankind, and there can be no winners in it, UNGA President Abdulla Shahid said.

“I totally agree that there can be no winners in a nuclear war. The only outcome of a nuclear war is destruction of humankind,” Shahid said.

Earlier, the President-designate of the Tenth Review Conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen, announced the confirmation by the presidents of Russia and the United States of the principle that there can be no winners in a nuclear war. According to Zlauvinen, all nuclear-weapon states could consider making a similar joint statement and commit to dialogue.

“The NPT is the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, and an important element in the development of nuclear energy applications for peaceful purposes. We need to redouble our efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons. This is the message that I strongly advocate during my Presidency of Hope,” Shahid said.

The first meeting between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden took place on 16 June in Geneva.  As a result, the presidents adopted a joint statement, confirming Russia’s and US adherence to the principle that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be waged. The same principle was fixed by the leaders of the USSR and the United States at the meeting in Geneva in 1985.

NPT is an international treaty which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and promote cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy by furthering the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament. The 2022 NPT Review Conference is scheduled to meet from 4 to 28 January.